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Zack is about to start at his new school, and his dad, who went there years before, tells Zack the stories of the haunted janitor’s closet, the specter of a dead crossing guard, and the Donnelly brothers, who perished in a suspicious fire. Dad doesn’t know that Zack has already met the Donnellys’ ghosts, who have warned Zack that there is an evil zombie under the school. Zack also learns that while zombies are usually content eating corpses, if they happen to bite someone who isn’t dead, that person also becomes a zombie.
Before midterms, Zack is dealing with two zombies, while trying to protect a friend whose curiosity has put him on the zombies’ menu.
Once again Chris Grabenstein proves his mastery of frightening and funny tales. Young readers, especially reluctant ones, have found inspiration in his quirky characters and deadly situations.
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
August 24, 2010 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780375896002
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780375896002
- File size: 2356 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 4.3
- Lexile® Measure: 690
- Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
- Text Difficulty: 3
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Reviews
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July 1, 2010
Gr 5–8—-his third entry in the series continues the adventures of Zach Jennings, who has the uncanny ability to see and talk with ghosts. His entrance into sixth grade is complicated by the brain-eating zombie that sleeps under the school guarding a Confederate treasure trove for a voodoo-practicing ghost waiting to take over the body of an unsuspecting child. With a maze of tunnels under it, a cemetery behind it, and guardian ghosts wandering through it, this middle school is far worse than most. Murders are committed in the quest for the treasure, but the creepiness tends to be so over-the-top, and there is so much humor in the book, that the evil is mitigated. Zach is a likable character, resigned to his ghost-seeing abilities and often trying to connect with his inner superhero. He's also nervous about the new school, realistic about his status there, and wants to make friends and avoid the school bully. With its short chapters, "Smoky Corridor"might appeal to some reluctant readers, but there are a lot of characters, including ghosts, to keep track of, and the plot is full of twists and turns that could be confusing. Grabenstein is a riveting storyteller; most kids won't be able to put this book down. Its appeal will be wide, as it is a mystery, a thriller, a ghost story, a school story, an action adventure, and a humorous book. It can stand alone, although reading the earlier titles does provide some pertinent background information.—"Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME"Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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January 1, 2011
Ghost-seer Zack Jennings (The Crossroads, The Hanging Hill) gets to start over at Horace P. Pettimore Middle School, but he doesn't get to leave spirits behind. The school's long-dead namesake has plans to possess a student and settle an old score. This multifaceted mystery has enough likable--and pleasurably unlikable--characters to keep readers following its many threads.(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
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